Clamp applicable as clothes-peg.



No. man. Patented Dec. 30, I902. L

s. T. ELLIS.

CLAMP APPLICABLE AS A CLOTHES PEG.

. (Application filed Sept. 8, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIGE.

STANLEY T. ELLIS, OF STRATHMERTON, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

CLAM P APPLICABLE AS CLOTH ES-PEG.

SZECIFICA'IION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 717,367, dated December 30, 1902. Application filed September 8, 1902. Serial'No. 122.603. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY THOMAS ELLIS, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Strathmerton, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps Applicable as Clothes-Pegs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to clamps or clips usable as clothes-pegs and for other purposes.

My object has been to provide an article. which will be simple, inexpensive, and powerful, with a positive grip not depending upon springs.

According to the uses to which the invention is put, so will sundry features be modifled-such as the jaws, the proportions of the parts, and the material-the scope of my invention being such as to include such modifications. Ordinarily I take sheet metal and stamp out three blanks and after bending these blanks up to the shape required unite them by a couple of rivets.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated.

Figure 1 shows a-side View of the clip, and Figs. 2 and 3 plans of two of the blanks formed in the first instance. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through Fig. 1 on the line 6. Fig. 5 shows a detail of the third blank wherein it differs from Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View showing a modification of the locking member blank shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings, 0. represents one jaw member of the clip, and 1) another, the top of a being shown in Fig. 5 as it is before being bent, while the rest of a is or may be similar to what is shown in Fig. 2 below the line 7.

c is a locking member, (provided to close the jaws hereinafter referred to,) pivoted to a at a, while a and b are pivoted together through the lugs a, and b.

a and b are locking-jaws, the surfaces of which are of any desired formation, but preferably toothed, as at d I)".

b and o constitute together means for engaging the locking member with member b for the locking and unlocking device of the clip, 6 being a tooth or projection, and c a plurality of teeth forming a rack or the like.

0 is aprojection or handle of any suitable length pressed into cylindrical or other suitable form by forcing down to the required extent the rack 0 which passes in front of tooth b until the resistance at the jaws 0. b causes tooth b to lock firmly in the said rack. Any part or extension of the locking member 0 may be used as the locking and unlocking handle. By perforating member a, as at (1 or providing an eye thereto this clip may be hung upon a wall, with the member 0 projecting outwardly therefrom, and various other such details may be introduced. The member c is apertured at c for lightness. part b in Fig. 2 being bent over, as shown in Fig. 1, gives strength to the tooth b'.

I prefer that lever 0 have the convex outline shown at c in Fig. 6, because then when the convexity contacts with tooth b (the jaws being open) the depression of the locking member will force or slide the tooth outward till it looks in the rack, thus enabling the clip, whatever its position, to be easily operated with one hand. As will be observed, the grip of the tooth in the rack will be produced by the resistance to compression of the article placed between jaws (1, b while the force of the leverage exerted by the user determines the pressure put upon the article placed between the jaws. There may be at any suitable part of the jaws a special opening or openings, as in Fig. l, where a is an opening suitable for the reception of a clothesline.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A"clip comprising two bent blanks pivoted together, forming members having jaws, a locking member pivoted to one of said members, comprising a bent blank with a handle Thev for locking and unlocking the clip, and means for engaging the locking member with the other said member.

2. A clip comprising three members formed from fiat blanks, two ofs aid members pivoted together to form gripping-jaws, the third member pivoted to one of said jaw members and adapted to engage said other jaw member, and means on said last two mentioned IOO members for locking the same together at any desired position of their engagement.

3. In a clip, the combination with the pivoted jaw members, one of said members comprising a flat blank, having laterally-project ing teeth at one end thereof, bent to the desired shape, of a locking member pivoted to said other jaw member and having a plurality of teeth adapted to engage said teeth on the first-mentioned jaw member for locking said members in any desired position of their engagement.

4. In a clip, the combination with the pivoted jaw members, one of said members comprising a flat blank, having laterally-projecting teeth and a longitudinally extending tongue at one end thereof, bent upon itself longitudinally, said tongue being bent at right angles thereto and engaging the underneath edges of said teeth forming a beveled projection at the upper end of said member when bent to the desired form, of a locking member pivoted to the other said jaw member and having a plurality of teeth adapted to engage said beveled projection for locking said members in any desired position of their engagement.

5. In aclip, the combination with the pivoted jaw members, of a projection formed on one end of one of said jaw members, and a looking member formed from a flat blank provided with an enlarged central portion and a' longitudinally extending tongue, said enlarged central portion having a plurality of teeth formed on the. edge adjacent the tongue extension, the whole being bent longitudinally upon itself and pivoted at its short end to the other of said jaw members, the said teeth of said locking member adapted to engage said projection on the first-mentioned said jaw member for the purpose set forth.

6. In a clip, the combination with the pivoted jaw members, of a projection formed on one end of one of said jaw members, and a locking member pivoted to said other jaw member having enlarged downwardly-projecting ears and a longitudinally-projecting tongue or handle, the inner edges of said ears being of convex conformation and the outer edges, adjacent said tongue, having a plurality of teeth adapted to engage the projection on said'first-mentioned jaw member, the said locking member being formed from a fiat blank bent to the desired shape.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- STANLEY T. ELLIS. Witnesses:

G. G. TURRI, W. H. CUBLEY. 

